By Chelsey Heath

    The Arizona arm of nonprofit marketing firm SmartPower and Phoenix Councilman Bill Gates (District 3) introduced the Arizona Solar Challenge and asked for feedback on how to reach out to Sunnyslope residents in a community meeting on Sept. 13.

    Gates opened the meeting at John C. Lincoln Hospital’s Cowden Center by describing the Solar Challenge launch in the Flagstaff, Coconino County, and Sunnyslope areas.

    Antonia “Toni” Bouchard, Arizona SmartPower state director, explained that the Challenge is a partnership between SmartPower and APS to help the utility meet its Arizona Corporation Commission-mandated renewable energy standard set in 2007. By 2025, 15 percent of utilities must be renewable energy, with 2.25 percent of the total in residential housing and another 2.25 percent in commercial buildings. 

 

As part of the Challenge, for every 100 residents who switch to solar within the project’s boundaries—19th Avenue to Arizona State Route 51 and the North Mountain Preserve to Northern Avenue—SmartPower will donate a one-kilowatt system to a public building, up to 500 residents or five systems. Gates’ office will decide the building or buildings to receive the systems.

    The Sunnyslope portion of the challenge will run through about the end of 2011, Bouchard said, adding that the public incentive was offered to make people to think of installing a solar system as, “I’m helping my family but I’m also helping my community.”

    Bouchard said that Sunnyslope was chosen for the project because of Gates’ leadership and its “great community spirit.” SmartPower’s role is “helping people make smart energy choices” by providing assistance to anyone in Sunnyslope, both on an individual and community basis. She stressed that SmartPower’s job is to “provide neutral third party information” for consumers, not sell systems or receive commission.

    A program was developed that directs interested parties to a solar coach to “walk them through that last mile,” Bouchard said.

    Solar coach Steve Loritz explained he fields inquiries from interested residents. He goes on a site visit, looks at past energy, and examines the roof size. Using the past bills, Loritz calculates about how many kilowatts used per year and plans a system as close to meeting 100 percent of that need as will fit on the roof.

    Bouchard said there are financing options available, as well as companies that lease solar power systems, like Solar City and SunRun Home Solar.

    North Central resident Brandi Carter went with a 20-year lease of solar panels for her 1954 home after talking it over with a friend who had done a similar leased installation. Both homeowners used San Francisco-based SunRun.

    In December of last year, Carter had solar panels put on the south- and west-facing sides of her roof. However, the panels weren’t certified by APS until March of this year. Carter says she and her husband had been interested in solar energy for some time but were concerned about the cost. The lease option was a win-win, she explained.

    Carter says she and her husband are pleased with the panels and noted that the local installers, American Solar Electric walked them through the process and made it comfortable for them. They already are seeing energy-saving results from the solar panels.

    Bouchard explained that most people end up choosing solar power after someone they know has it installed, so inter-community outreach is key.

    For more information or to contact a solar coach, visit http://www.azsmart power.org/.

Solar Resources

    Arizona Goes Solar: www.arizona goessolar.org. The website features current state solar projects as well as incentives offered to solar power customers.

    APS’s renewable energy programs and rebates: http://www.aps.com/. Click on the links under “Save energy and money with Steve.”

    For the national Renewable Energy Standard’s website, including information by state, visit http://www.renewable energyworks.org/.